New Anti-poverty Agency Sought

May 18, 1999|By JANICE D'ARCY; Courant Staff Writer

MERIDEN — As state officials hammer out just how much the city's former anti-poverty agency owes them, the Department of Social Services is looking to find a permanent replacement for the Meriden Community Action Agency.

And the state is determined not to let history repeat itself.

``We want to get the best one for the job,'' said Claudette Beaulieu, a spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services.

Beaulieu said that state officials plan to solicit applications to take over the anti-poverty programs in Meriden from nonprofit groups in coming weeks. They want to choose a new agency by midsummer.

The new agency would be responsible for about $2 million in funds from the Department of Social Services, as well as lesser contributions from other state agencies. It would also oversee crucial city programs, such as weatherization funding, summer youth employment and the summer feeding program -- in which hundreds of children receive meals every day.

Since the city cut its ties with the Meriden Community Action Agency last year amid allegations of financial impropriety, anti-poverty programming has been overseen by a Waterbury-based agency, New Opportunities for Waterbury, or NOW.

Local officials have praised NOW's work throughout a tumultuous year in which its predecessors were under at least three separate investigations.

In February, state auditors concluded that administrators for the Meriden Community Action Agency had bilked tens of thousands of dollars in public funds. On Friday, a Hartford Superior Court judge gave the go-ahead for officials to seize about $200,000 that remains in the agency's bank account.

Assistant State's Attorney John F. Blawie said Monday that a separate criminal investigation is close to completion.

In the meantime, agency officials have struggled to re-establish themselves as a reputable nonprofit group. Although they were cut off from city and state funds, they retained a board of directors and said they planned to rebuild themselves as a comprehensive service agency for the region's poor. But Friday's decision might have been the final blow.

Gregory Haskins, the Meriden Community Action Agency director blamed by city officials for the group's troubles, said Monday he doubted that the agency would now apply to the Department of Social Services to take over its old job.

``I don't think that's something they would pursue,'' he said of the agency's board of directors.

The only other group that has expressed interest in replacing the Meriden Community Action Agency is the Waterbury-based agency.

``The director said he was interested and we'll review the [Department of Social Services] application,'' said Toni Hirst, NOW's director of research.

NOW is one of 12 community action agencies in the state. In its 35-year history, it has grown from serving 22 communities to serving about 80.

Although some Meriden officials would like to see a locally based group replace the Meriden Community Action Agency, sentiment is growing to install a substantial, well- grounded group like NOW.